Improvement in horse-detachers



C. O. BAKER. 'HORSE-DETACHER'S.

No. 194,401; Patented. Aug. 21,1877.

Wag MM WITNEEEEE' n, PETERS, PHDTO LITHOGRAPHE1 WASl-HNGTON. D C,

IINITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES O. BAKER, OF GRAND RAPIDS, WISCONSIN.

' IMPROVEMENT IN HORSE-DETACHERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 194,40l, dated August 21, 1877; application filed June 18,1877.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES O. BAKER, of Grand Rapids, in the State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Horse-Detachers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in devices for detaching horses; and it consists in the arrangementand combination of devices that will be more fully described hereinafter, whereby the horses can be instantly detached from the vehicle in case of an accident.

. The accompanying drawings represent my invention.

it represents a single-tree or a double-tree of the usual construction, upon each end of which is placed a hollow ferrule, b. In the outer ends of these ferrules are placed the rods 0, which are held pressed inward by means of the springs d. Pivoted through the rear sides of the ferrules are the cranked levers e, the inner ends of which bear againstthe inner ends of the rods 0, and serve to press and hold them outward, so as to cause the outer ends of the rods to pass through the ends of the traces in the usual manner. The longer ends of these levers 6, when forced downward so as to extend parallel with the tree, have their ends held by the spring-catches t, which project through the sides of the inner ends of the ferrule.

While held in this position the inner ends of these levers inside of the ferrules are pressing the ends of the rods 0 outward.

Connected to each of the spring-catches is the rod or chain 0, which is united at its in ner end by a link or any suitable device, to which link is attached a strap, cord, or chain, which passes up into the vehicle.

In case of a runaway or an accident of any kind, by pulling upon this link the springcatches will be drawn backward, so as to release the outer ends of the levers, when the spring rods will instantly fly inward, and thereby release the traces. The traces being released the horses at once leave the vehicle behind in case it should not be possible to stop them.

The pieces a, against which the outer ends of the rod 0 press, may either be cast in a single piece with the ferrules, or may be secured to them, as here shown.

' Having thus described my invention, I

claim- In a device for detaching horses, the combination of the spring-rods c d, cranked levers e, spring-catches z, and rods 0, substantially as V 

